


The Song of Saturday

by MusicalRaven



Category: Supernatural
Genre: BAMF Castiel, Chef Castiel, Cute Castiel, Feminist Dean, First Dates, First Meetings, Fluff, M/M, Meet-Cute, SO MUCH FLUFF, Tattooed Dean, Tattoos, dorky Cas
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-29
Updated: 2015-05-16
Packaged: 2018-02-15 06:18:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 8,005
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2218950
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MusicalRaven/pseuds/MusicalRaven
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dean and Charlie co-own a bookstore. Castiel had a huge crush on Dean. Cuteness ensues.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. What You Deserve

**Author's Note:**

> Okay so I originally wrote and posted this on tumblr for my friend humannidean, but it came to my attention that I maybe should post it here since I really like it, even though it reads kinda/kinda not like crack. I don't know. Cas is a BAMF but also a dork in love. Its stupid. I love it

Most people brushed him off. He'd walk up with his swagger and his smile, but all he'd get in return is frowns and biting words. And Castiel just wanted to shake them. ' _Can't you see how wonderful he is?'_ , he'd shout. _'Can't you see what he's saying is true?'_ Of course, Castiel has never done this. But he's fantasized about it multiple times.

Castiel sighs and leans back in his chair. Dean is currently attempting to inform a customer why it is completely appropriate for Charlie to show her bra strap while working. Charlie and Dean are currently the only employees of Gay as a Rainbow. Apparently when they'd first opened, Charlie had thought the idea hilarious. Dean, still believing he was straight at the time, had argued against it vehemently. Charlie, however, seemed to have a sort of sway over him because the name stayed.

The bookstore itself was a small affair, unofficially labeled as a feminist bookstore. Unofficially because Dean was the only person there who labeled themselves as a feminist, but he made up for it in quality. He and Charlie were always talking about the newest news and chattering about woman's rights. Castiel had sort of become a quasi-feminist himself with how much he came in here. It was hard not to. Dean, after all, was a force to be reckoned with. All confidence and honest words. His eyes shone as he spoke and his lips danced. Well, maybe they did. Castiel didn't watch his lips too often. Okay, maybe a bit more than he should. But it was hard not to. Dean was one of the most beautiful men Castiel had ever seen, even with his bright green hair and tattooed arms. And with a person like Dean Winchester, you just can't help to fall in love.

Truth be told, Castiel had never spoke to the man. Granted, Dean had spoken at him every time he entered the store. He'd even tried striking up a conversation with Castiel several times. Castiel, however, would always bow his head and shuffle away, desperately trying to hide his blush. It was embarrassing what this man could do to him.

Currently, he was capturing Castiel's attention like every other time he came in here. Castiel watches his fists clench and unclench behind his back as he tries not to loose his cool; Watches his eyes flare up as the man calls Charlie a whore; watches Dean's self control dissolve and him curl his hand into a fist. Castiel watches Charlie make a move to stop Dean. Castiel watches, but he also moves.  As soon as he sees the fire in Dean's eyes, he moved. Right before Dean's fist would be raised, Castiel pinched his wrist and said softly to Dean, "He's not worth it."

Dean blinked, his head whipping around to glare at Castiel. Castiel has to force himself not to look and instead to focus on the man, who stood there sneering in disgust.

"I suggest you leave. Your odds are not exactly in your favor." His voice was soft, but firm and he could feel the fire in his own eyes. How dare this man insult Charlie, and how dare he upset Dean.

The man glanced at all three of them and seemed to waver. He gave Charlie a last pointed look before slinking out of the bookstore, the bell jingling behind him. Castiel let out a breath he didn't know he had been holding.

"What the fuck, dude?" Castiel heard a familiar voice say. Castiel swallowed hard, but turned, meeting Dean's glare full on.

"He is a self-righteous bigot. Punching him would only aggravate the situation." Castiel said this matter-a-fact, his fingers still curled around Dean's wrist. Dean was still glaring, but he made no attempt to shake out of Castiel's grip. Castiel was silently grateful his adrenaline was still going and not allowing him to blush.

"But he deserved it." Dean growled. He ran his free hand through his green hair.

"Yes, he did." Castiel said, tilting his head. "However, he will certainly be more humiliated when punched by a woman he says these things to."

Dean blinked, and then a smile spread over his face and he laughed. He threw his head back and laughed, shifting so Castiel's hand had to drop. But he was laughing. And Castiel hadn't heard anything so beautiful. He fought the urge to stare and instead glanced over at Charlie, who was staring at Dean like he'd lost his mind.

"What's your name?" Castiel's eyes immediately snapped back to Dean's. He was smiling still, and his hair was slightly disheveled. Castiel started to blush and his eyes widened. Shit.

He started to back away, swallowing heavily. Dean shook his head, still smiling, and grabbed his trench coat with both hands. "Oh, no. You're not running away from me this time." He smirked. "What's your name?" He asked again, slower.

Castiel licked his lips, giving Dean's a quick glance and blushing harder. "Castiel." He squeaked out.

"Well, then, Castiel." Dean said. "You free Saturday?"


	2. Thinking of You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "He's got a huge crush on me. It's adorable." 
> 
> Just a filler chapter to get the ball rolling.

Castiel was sure he'd never moved so fast in his life. He didn't even remember coming home, but there he was, in his apartment, with no recollection of what happened or how he got there. It was almost like he'd flow there, even though his apartment was miles from that tiny bookstore.

He turned his keys over in his hand, struggling to remember. Dean asked him if he was free Saturday. He'd said yes, but then-

Castiel felt like smacking his head into a wall. He hadn't even asked for his number. They had no set time, no meet place; nothing.

"I'm an idiot." He said aloud. He could already feel the blush rising to his cheeks again. Now he'd have to drag himself back to the bookstore and ask in person. Somehow, he doubted he had the courage. Facing Dean when he was angry was somehow easier than when he was happy, and this effectively screwed Castiel. He sighed and rubbed his free hand over his face. Well, there was nothing he could do about it today. He would just have to wait to make an even bigger fool of himself.

He walked forward and dropped his keys on the kitchen counter. One of the benefits in living in an apartment the size of a closet was accessibility. He could be in the kitchen one minute, take two steps, and be in his bedroom. It felt almost claustrophobic. Thankfully Castiel wasn't. At least, not very.

Castiel walked a step towards the fridge, frowned, then headed towards his bedroom instead. His stomach was in too many knots tonight to even think about eating. He couldn't stop thinking about the way that Dean had thrown back his head. The way he'd grabbed at Castiel, wanting him to stay. The way his green eyes sparkled when Castiel said his name.

It was going to be a long night.

* * *

 

Dean wasn't sure what to make of Castiel. He'd noticed him come in, but never really _seen_ him. Just like any of his customers, he'd tried to strike up a conversation. But most people would at least shoot him a good morning, or a smile and a nod. Castiel was the only person who didn't even look him in the eye. Just shuffled off the the same corner of the store every time. Once in a while, the guy would ring something up with Charlie, but never with Dean. He began to think the guy hated him, although for what reason he couldn't fathom. The only idea he had was the guy was one of those people who judged people with tattoos and dyed hair. But he didn't seem like the type. It was infuriating.

And then today happened. Dean had been fully ready to clock that other guy. He'd been spewing sexist nonsense in _his_ store and Dean wasn't going to stand for that. That was, until that quiet man, the man Dean had been sure hated him, grabbed his wrist and didn't let him. Until he made Dean laugh harder than he had in months. Until his entire face turned red when Dean asked him out.

Dean smiled fondly as he rung up the last customer of the day, remembering how the guy had said yes to a date, before fleeing the premises. The guy didn't hate him. He had a crush on him. Oh man, it was even better than he thought.

"Hey, princess. Stop daydreaming and finish the order." He heard Charlie say. Dean glanced at the customer, who was tapping her foot impatiently. He blushed and finished ringing up the last book.

"Sorry, madam. Got distracted." He gave her a quirked smile and she gave him one back.

"It's okay. I've had that look on my face before." She smiled wider and handed him the money. "I bet she's cute."

"He is." He said smoothly and the woman kept smiling.

"Well, whoever he is, he's one lucky fellow. G'night."

"G'night, madam." He said as she left the store.Seconds later, Charlie was at his side.

"Man. You get to know him for thirty seconds and you're already smitten." She tsked.

"He's cute, alright?" Dean said, starting to check the till.

"Well yeah, I could tell he was a looker. I'm just surprised he finally made a move. He's been staring at you like a love sick puppy for months."

Dean chuckled. "He's got a huge crush on me. It's adorable."

Charlie smirked. "Somehow, I don't think he's the only one." She started to walk away, pretending not to see Dean's spreading blush. "I'll tidy up the shelves. Tell me when you're good so we can lock up."

When she disappeared behind the stacks, Dean paused for a moment. He couldn't already be falling for this guy. They'd barely just met! He shook his head. Forget it. He needed to get this done and than he could go home, relax and forget all about the cute guy in the trench coat. After all, Saturday was still a half a week away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so I've decided to write a bit more, per request. Next, Castiel works up the courage to see Dean again. However, it doesn't quite go the way he hoped.


	3. In Over My Head

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Castiel attempts to get Dean's phone number but has a little trouble doing so.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDIT: Castiel's anxiety is based off of my own. As everyone's anxiety is different, his is in no way reflecting all anxiety nor am I claiming that he does.

It took Castiel two days to push himself back into Gay as a Rainbow. The first day he just spent worrying. Worrying Dean had been joking, that he pitied him, that he was going to humiliate him for fun;  anything and everything negative that could happen ran through his head. Working as a pastry chef in a fast paced restaurant didn't help things. By the time his work day ended and it was time for him to stop by, he was so shaken up by anxiety that he chickened out. He spent the rest of the day watching Law and Order on Netflix and berating himself.

The next day he almost didn't do it either. He was able to think more rationally today, so his anxiety levels went down, but not by enough. He was able to put negative thoughts of Dean aside, but he still managed to burn two desserts and get yelled at by his boss. He was more pissed then worried this time, but just the same, his shift was close to ending and he was nowhere near ready to talk to Dean.

 _'He knows we didn't set anything. Maybe he'll just assume I'll end up at the bookstore for our date?'_ He thought. He drizzled caramel around a pile of French toast and chewed his lip. _'I could just show up Saturday.'_ He finished off the ice cream and set it up for one of the waiters to take. _'But what if he wants to go somewhere fancy? Or not so fancy? Dammit.'_ He groaned to himself, snatching up a clean rag to wipe up his work station.

"Castiel, are you okay?" He felt a hand on his shoulder and turned around. Anna, his younger sister, was staring at him curiously. She currently worked as his subordinate, but she was also an amazing chef in her own right. He had no doubt she'd surpass him one day.

Castiel gave her a small smile. "Yes, Anna. I'm fine."

Anna gave him a look. "I'm sure. Just don't be so hard on yourself, okay? Baltizar's just a bit worked up today."

Castiel nodded. "Okay, thank you." Anna walked off and Castiel went back to wiping down his work station, pushing all thoughts of Dean out of head.

But, of course, in an hour he was out on the street, only blocks from Gay as a Rainbow. He started to sweat, twisting his sleeve between his fingers.

"It's not so bad." Castiel thought. "At least he knows who I am now." He paused. "Which makes it worse somehow." He groaned and hung his head. "I'm fucked."

Castiel breathed slowly, in and out. He then forced his head up and licked his lips. Yeah, he could wait. But he'd committed to it two days ago. He was going to go through with it if it fucking killed him. Hopefully it wouldn't, though. He didn't want to date him that badly.

Mind set, and before he could change his mind, Castiel set off for the bookstore.

 

* * *

Dean was bored. The weekdays were usually pretty steady, but for some reason, today was just a drag fest. They'd only had two customers in five hours, one who made it perfectly clear this was not the store they intended to go to, before leaving with a conceited glance at the shelves . The other had stayed about an hour and left with a couple romance novels. Neither had been particularly chatty.

Charlie had set up a game of Jenga several minutes ago, but after a few moves, Dean's attention was already wandering. Charlie had to hit his arm twice to get him to take his turn.

"Dude, C'mon. It's just getting good."

Dean made a noncommittal gesture and kept staring at the door, willing someone to come into the store. Any customer would be better than this. Hell, if some guy wanted to pick a fight today, he'd take it. He just needed to stop being to goddamn _bored._

"Dean." Charlie whined.

Suddenly, Dean spied a shadow on the sidewalk. "C'mon. C'mon." He muttered, staring harder like it would force the person to come inside. Unfortunately, his mind control techniques were underdeveloped and the person walked right by.

"Dammit." He muttered, looking away.

Charlie poked his arm, gaining his attention again. "Your turn, dick." She said, glaring at him. He sighed and whipped a piece out. The whole tower came tumbling down and he tossed the piece he pulled into the pile.

"Congratulations." He muttered and sat back in his chair, staring at the ceiling.

Charlie scooped all the pieces back into the box while glaring at him periodically. "You said you wanted to play."

"That was ten minutes ago. Now-" He shrugged.

Charlie huffed and stuck the box under the counter. "Well then, is there any _short_ games you could _handle_ playing-"

A jangling sound came from the direction of the door and Dean's head shot towards the sound. Too fast really. He could feel the muscles in his neck tighten in pain at the sudden movement. 'I'm going to pay for that later.' He thought, his eyes focusing on the person entering. He did not, however, expect the person who greeted his eyes.

Castiel shuffled in, his eyes scanning the room. They landed on Dean's, but only for a second. When Dean smiled, Castiel looked at his shoes, his cheeks blazing, and he fast walked towards the same corner he went to every time he came in.

"Looks like your boyfriends early. Like, two days early." Charlie said.

"Shut up. You know he's not my boyfriend-" Dean said.

"Yet." Charlie quipped.

Dean rolled his eyes. " _And_ you know he comes to this store like every day or something. Why wouldn't he come back?"

Charlie grinned mischievously. "More like, why do you think he keeps coming? He must really like you."

"Shut up." Dean said again, hiding his blush as he turned to rearrange a display that was perfectly in order.

"Well, you're not-so-boyfriend looks a little upset today." Dean glanced up at Charlie's words, eyebrows together. Castiel was sitting in his usual spot, but his head was in his hands and his breathing was irregular. "Better go check on him." Charlie winked and pulled out some cards. "I can play by myself, Mr.McBoringPants."

Dean gave her a half hearted glare, but his eyes immediately went back to Castiel. He pushed himself out of his chair. Slowly, he made his way over to where Castiel was hunched.

When he was close enough to him, he reached out a hand and placed it on his shoulder. "Hey, man. You-"

Almost immediately after Dean's hand touched his shoulder, Castiel shot up into a sitting position. His arm swung wide and hit a pile of books sitting next to him, propelling them all onto the ground.

"Shit." Castiel said, eyes wide. He glanced sheepishly at Dean, who had retracted his hand and was staring at him, amused. Castiel's cheeks blazed red. "Sorry! Sorry." He said, jumping out of his seat and effectively knocking over another pile of books. A few hit Dean in the leg, causing him to jump back. Castiel hunched into himself. "Shit. Shit shit shit-" He bend down and started gathering all the books, keeping his eyes firmly fixed on the ground, muttering apologies under his breath.

It took Dean a second to make sense of what just happened, but as soon as he did, he was on his hands and knees picking up books. He could hear Cas' mumbled apologies and reached out a hand again, but pulled it back quickly and just spoke this time.

"Dude, it's okay." Castiel's eyes shot to his, then shot back to the carpet. "It was an accident. It's cool." Dean smiled at him, but Cas didn't look up, just blushed harder and stacked the books a foot away from where he was sitting last. Dean cleared his throat and Cas glanced up slowly at Dean, who was still smiling. "It was kinda cute." He said and Cas' eyes widened. Dean laughed. "Like that. You getting all flustered. That doesn't really happen to me."

Castiel paused in his movements and tilted his head to the side. "Why is that? You are quite," He paused, licking his lips and glancing back at the books. He took a breath and glanced back at Dean. "You are quite attractive." He exhaled hard like he'd made some big mistake and immediately started shelving books again.

This time, it was Dean's turn to blush. "Uh, thanks. I guess the whole," He gestured to his body, thinking. "Hair, piercing, tattoo combo throws people off, you know?"

"I don't see why." Castiel said.

"Yeah, well, that's a first." He muttered, shelving the last of the books. Castiel put his hands in his laps and watched Dean do so. When Dean caught his eye, Castiel blushed again.

"So," He said, suppressing a laugh. "Whatcha doin' here? I assume it's not to make me reorganize everything." He snorted and Castiel smiled at him, chuckling softly.

"I would very much like to see you reorganize everything." He said, glancing at his arms and swallowing hard. "However, I, uh, came to ask you about our, uh, date." Dean raised an eyebrow and gestured for him to go on. Castiel licked his lips again. This time, Dean watched. "We never set up a place or time. I don't even have your phone number."

"Hmm? Oh, yeah." Dean said, tearing up eyes away from Cas' lips. "Well, how about we meet here around noon and take it from there. Just wear something casual. Oh, and-" He leaned forward, taking a pen from his pocket and reached for Cas' hand. He paused right before he did and glanced at Cas. "May I?" Cas nodded, smiling shyly. Dean took his hand gently and wrote his phone number on the back of Cas' hand. He slowly pulled his hand back, brushing his fingers over the inside of Cas' palm, eye's locked on Cas' the whole time. Cas blushed again and Dean grinned.

"Does my blushing turn you on?" Cas said, tilting his head and squinting his eyes.

Dean reddened and ran his free hand through his hair. "Uh, no?"

"That's not an answer. That's a question." Castiel raised an eyebrow and leaned forward. "Do you?"

Dean swallowed, then leaned forward and gave Cas a slow smile. "Maybe."

Cas made a noise in the back of his throat. "That's still not an answer."

"It's all you'll get out of me, baby." Dean purred, leaning even closer. "For now."

Cas' glanced down at Dean's lips then back at his face, and he swallowed hard.

"Hey, love birds!" Charlie yelled. Both of them jumped back and swung there heads around to look at her. "I could use some help back here!"

Cas glanced sheepishly at Dean. "I'm not trying to get you in trouble…"

"Hey, Charlie's good. You're welcome to join us." He paused, pushing himself to a standing position. He held out a hand to Castiel, who took it hesitantly. Dean pulled him to his feet and rubbed the back of his neck. "I mean, if you wanna. We really could use the help." He didn't say it, but he couldn't help thinking, _'It'll be so boring with out you.'_

Castiel bit his lip, glancing around, before looked back at Dean. A smile slowly spread onto his face and he nodded. "Yes, I would like that."

Dean smiled. "Awesome. Uh, just-follow me." He made a half hearted gesture forward. "Ladies first."

Castiel narrowed his eyes, but lifted his head and gave Dean a fake glare. "You better show me you know _how_ to treat a lady, Dean, or today won't be very pleasant for you." He smiled wickedly and trotted off in Charlie's direction. Dean watched him go, mouth hanging.

 _'Damn, he's good.'_ He thought to himself, slowly trailing after him. _'What have I gotten myself into?'_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I know i don't update this very often. It'll probably be only every three weeks or so because I'm still writing it, but I do hope to keep updating. Just don't expect too much out of me, M'k? Also, I changed the description since it's gonna be multi-chapter. 
> 
> Next chapter: Castiel and Dean go on their date. But the day doesn't start off very good, making them wonder if they even should be going out.


	4. You Make Me Smile

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's the day of the date, and neither one of them are having a very good day. When noon finally rolls around, they don't get off to the greatest start.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long and has a crappy cut off point, but I thought you guys deserved something for waiting so long so here you go. Also, I realized I forgot to write in that Dean had green hair and tattoos, which is now added to the first chapter.

Castiel wanted to kill someone. This was not a lingering problem, but more of an occasional rage brought on by extreme incompetence--that of which his coworkers were deciding to display today.

It was bad enough that it was Saturday, his day off. He was supposed to have slept in, waking up leisurely, before heading out for his date with Dean. Instead, he'd gotten a call at six in the morning, telling him neither Anna nor Samandriel, his assistants and replacements, were able to show up today so could he please haul ass and take their spots? Balthazar sounded stressed out, so he knew it wasn't really a choice.

He'd agreed and called Anna immediately afterwards. Turns out, Anna had vomited all night last night and was in no shape to work. She added that Samandriel and his boyfriend, Adam, had gotten in a car accident around the same time. Castiel felt sorry for all of them, but selfishly, he was still upset. He was sure today was going to be stressful as hell.

And that it was. He'd had to hurry out the door, grabbing a old granola bar for breakfast and mismatched shoes. It took him an hour to get there and when he did, breakfast service was already starting. He'd had to jump right into the fray. Without either of his assistants, however, he'd had to ask several things of other chiefs, which mostly got him dirty looks. He tried to limit how much he asked, pilling a lot of jobs on himself, but by 10am he was all over the place. The dishes weren't going out quite right and he couldn't stop getting upset at himself. He should be able to do better. He was a good chief. He shouldn't have all these issues right now. He should be able to pull things together.

His coworkers, however, just exacerbated this issue; ignoring what he asked which caused him to fill orders wrong and completely redo them. They also asked him to do several of their own jobs as payment, making him work triple time to keep up. He was exhausted by the end of his shift, and just wanted to go home. He just needed a break now. However, Balthazar seemed to have other ideas.

"Cas," Castiel glanced up at Balthazar, then back down at the pudding he was plating. "Buddy, hey. I need you to stay just a bit longer."

Cas glanced up again, but this time he gave him his full attention. "I can't, Balthazar. I have plans."

"Cancel them. I need you here."

Castiel bit his lip, fighting the urge to yell at him. "Yes, sir."

"Thanks, pumpkin." Balthazar grinned and walked back toward his office.

Castiel sighed and stared down at the half plated pudding. He'd have to call Dean and cancel. There was no way around it now. Who knows how long Balthazar would keep him? And after all that work figuring out their date too.

He finished plating the pudding, and, as everything else was running smoothly for the moment, took his lunch break. He stepped outside the kitchen into the back alley and brought out his phone. Dean picked up on the second ring.

"What?" A voice snapped, making Cas move the phone away from his ear sharply.

"Dean?" Cas asked tentatively. "It's Castiel."

There was a pause, and then the voice came back sounding sheepish. "Sorry about that. Damn book fair goers won't keep their kids under control. What's up?"

Castiel sighed. "It's fine. I'm fine. I just-" He paused, rubbing a hand over his face. "I'm not gonna be able to make it to our date tonight."

The line went silent. Castiel could hear Dean breathing, nothing else. He waited, starting to sweat. He just wanted him to say something. Anything. Finally, Dean spoke.

"Oh." He said. Castiel blinked, confused.

"Oh?"

"Well, I mean I expected you would get cold feet sooner or later, but not this soon." Castiel's jaw dropped open.

"What?"

Castiel heard Dean shift the phone in his grip. "No, it's alright. It's fine. If you don't want to see me again, I get it-"

"No, no, wait Dean. I still want to see you. T-to date you." Castiel pinched the bridge of his nose, forcing himself to breathe. "My boss is making me work really long hours today and I don't know If I'll be able to get off in time. I thought you would like to know."

There was a pause, then Castiel heard Dean break out into rancorous laughter. He then heard someone scold him on the other end of the line and Castiel fought the urge to smile.

"That's-" He paused, trying to reign in his laughter."That's fine, Cas. Is there any way you can make it? Or should we reschedule?"

Castiel bit his lip, and stared at the dingy alleyway wall. He could always reschedule. Obviously, Dean wouldn't mind. But Castiel had really been looking forward today. He'd even managed to get himself pumped and rid himself of most of his anxiety. He didn't want to do that all over again.

"Can we change it to a dinner date?"

"Yeah, that's cool. Still meeting you here?"

"Yes, that will suffice."

Dean chuckled. "Okay. See you then. Try not to work too hard, hmm?"

"I always work hard. It is required."

Dean started laughed again and hung up the phone, leaving Cas to stare at his phone in bewilderment. Dean Winchester was a very strange man.

* * *

 

As Dean hung up the phone, he tried very hard to get his laughter under control. Mostly because Charlie was swatting his arm and trying to get him to ring up a customer. He managed to do so, but burst back into laughter directly afterword. Charlie gave up and put him on book shelving duty.

"You're not my boss." Dean said, a wide smile still on his face.

"Sometimes, I need to be. Shoo." Charlie said without looking up from the register.

Dean shrugged, still smiling. Whatever. He had more time to daydream that way. Or so he thought.

Minutes into stacking the shelves, the store hit rush hour. That wouldn't have been a problem if it had been like any other Saturday, where they get five customers max during said time. But today, they learned later, there was a book fair going on down the block. So their five quickly turned into thirty and thirty into fifty. It didn't help that this morning had been ridiculously busy as well and had only just calmed down. Dean felt the small bit of good mood Castiel coaxed into existence slip away again.

He had to scramble back and forth between stacking books, talking to customers, and restacking books their goddamn kids knocked over. In an hour, he was annoyed. In two, he was stressed as hell. By the time he and Cas' date rolled around, he was so beyond stressed it wasn't even funny.

He was trying to restack the same pile of book for the fourth time in a row when he felt Charlie's hand on his arm.

"What?" He snapped, instantly regretting it when she flinched away from him. "Sorry."

"You better be, Dean. It's almost time for your date, remember? You should take a break. You know, so you don't snap at him too."

Dean pursed his lips and nodded. She was right. He wanted this to go well, not end quickly because of his stupidity. He stood up, Charlie still watching him apprehensively, and tried to force a smile. It came out more like a grimace.

Charlie sighed. "Look, maybe you should reschedule."

"Charlie, I can't. I made this commitment. I'm not backing out on him."

"It wouldn't be backing out. Just putting it off til a better time-"

"Charlie," Dean said. "I've been looking forward to this all week. I'm not rescheduling."

She elbowed him in the side. "Just looking out for you, Winchester. I know you don't wanna blow this."

"'Course not." He said, running a hand through his hair. He glanced down at his worn Henley and jeans, frowning. "Should I dress up or something?" He picked it his shirt, frowning deepening. Cas would probably want him to dress up right? It was a first date, after all.

Charlie opened her mouth to answer but the sound of a bell made them both swivel their heads towards the door.

"Well, looks like your prince charming is early." Charlie slapped his shoulder playfully. "Go get 'um, princess."

A light blush crept up on Dean's face and he glared at Charlie, which only prompted her to wink and shove him out from behind the stacks. He stumbled forward, suddenly frozen when Cas spotted him. The guy smiled slightly and gave him a small wave, which Dean reciprocated. He heard Charlie snort behind him and dropped his hand. He needed to stop acting like an idiot around this guy.

He made his way to the doors, trying to do anything but stare at the guy. Unfortunately, that's all he could do. Castiel seemed preoccupied with a stack of books by the door so at least he wasn't watching him. That would be even more awkward.

"Hey, Cas." He said, sidling up beside him. Castiel whipped around to face him, blushing furiously. He opened his mouth and closed it, not making a sound. Dean arched an eyebrow. "Something wrong?"

Castiel blinked and cleared his throat. "I, um, no. You just- you called me Cas."

"Oh uh sorry. Should I not?"

"Oh um," He bit his lip. "No, it is fine."

"Good," Dean said, smiling. "Cause I don't feel like making an ass of myself if I mispronounce your name."

"You haven't."

"Yet." Dean rubbed the back of his neck. "So, c'mon, let's get out moving."

Castiel tilted his head in a bird-like fashion. "Why? We aren't in any hurry."

"I am." Dean said with a shrug.

Castiel's eyes suddenly hardened. "I see." He turned on his heel and walked out of the bookstore, leaving Dean staring dumbstruck after him. He glanced back at Charlie, who looked quizzical and shrugged. He turned back around and hurried after Cas. He didn't know what he did, but he needed to fix it fast.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Chapter: Castiel finds out why Dean doesn't date very often. He's absolute rubbish at it


	5. You're Lucky I Like You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dean doesn't exactly have this date thing down

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, we all know I suck at updates. Forgive me. This is the last normal chapter. Next bit will be an epilogue of sorts.

As soon as Dean caught up to Cas--damn he could move fast--he grabbed his shoulder and spun him around to face him.

"What the hell, man?" He asked, looking as confused as he felt. What had made Castiel so keen to leave?

Cas shook his hand off and glared at him. Dean dropped his hands to his side, taking a small step back. He felt like Cas was burning a hole through him. It was unnerving.

"If you hadn't wanted to do this in the first place, you should have just said." Castiel said, fury rolling off him in waves. "Then I wouldn't have come all the way down here when I could just be relaxing at home." He turned to leave again and Dean shot out his hand, quickly dropping it again when Castiel fixed him with another glare.

"Woah dude, Cas, I want to do this. You have no idea how much I want to do this."

Castiel frowned, his anger slipping. "But you- you said you were in a hurry. Does that not imply you want this over with?"

Dean blinked. "I was in a hurry to get out of there." He pointed back at the bookstore with his thumb. "It's fucking busy in there and I just wanted out."

Castiel stared at him for several minutes, his anger quickly fading into deep embarrassment. He let out a quiet, "Oh," and looked down at his feet.

Dean chuckled. "Dude, it's fine. No hard feelings."

Cas nodded, still staring at his shoes. 

"Cas?"

"…yes?"

"Are you coming?"

Castiel glanced up to see Dean standing by his car, tapping his fingers against the hood and looking amused. Castiel flushed red again and hurried over to Dean's side. Dean held open the door for him and Castiel's blush deepened. He muttered a thank you and slide into the passenger seat. Dean winked at him and slammed the door shut, walking around to the driver's seat and sliding in. 

Castiel folded his hands in his lap and stared at them, too embarrassed to acknowledge Dean's presence. Dean seemed to catch on and didn't comment, choosing to started up the car and pull out of the parking space. 

They rode in silence for a while, Dean occasionally glancing over at Cas, who didn't move the entire time. Dean started to get unnerved by the silence so he switched on a classic rock station. At that, Castiel perked up, eyes glancing up at the radio. When Dean glanced back over he saw Cas quietly mouthing along to Ramble On. Dean couldn't help but smile.

Sadly, that smile was short lived. When he glanced back at the road, Dean realized. In his excitement to go on the date, he'd forgotten to make any kind of reservations…or even pick where they were going to eat. He wanted to bang his head against the steering wheel to express how stupid he knew he was, but Cas was sitting right there and the guy didn't have to know, right? He could just pick a place and pretend that's where he'd wanted to go all along. Dean nodded to himself, already on board with this plan. Cas continued to mouth along to the next song, completely oblivious.

However, when Dean swung around the block for the third time, Cas started to get confused. Before he could ask, Dean gave him some bullshit about finding a parking spot and desperately searched for a place that he could pull up to. Thankfully, he finally caught sight of a small little Mexican restaurant tucked away on the corner and slid home into a parking spot right out front.

"We're here!" He said extra enthusiastically. Cas gave him a weird look but smiled slightly.

"Alright." He said, going to open his door.

"Wait." Dean said before jumping out of the car and walking around to Castiel's door. He pulled it open and smiled. "Gotta be a gentleman."

Cas blushed and got out, ducking his head but his smile growing. He nodded his thanks and gestured toward the restaurant. "I've never been here before."

Dean cleared his throat. "Really? I come here all the time. The food's great. You'll love it. C'mon." He walked quickly toward the restaurant, ignoring Cas' bewildered glance. He arrived at the door quickly and held it open for Cas, who blushed again but didn't comment as he walked inside. Dean followed after him, glancing around.

The place was so cheesy it was down right embarrassing. Bright yellow walls covered in dancing chili peppers with sombreros on; wooden parrots randomly distributed throughout the tables; cheep piñatas hanging from the ceiling. It was the saddest attempt at copying Mexican culture Dean had ever seen. Of course, this had to be the place he'd stopped at.

"It's a nice choice, Dean." Cas said, eyes taking in the horribly over coloured scene in front of them. Dean practically gaped at him.

"You serious?" He blurted. Cas blushed and glanced at Dean's shocked face before looking down. Dean stared at him, trying to figure the weird little dude out when an overly enthusiastic person wearing a plastic sombrero came bounding over to them.

"Welcome to El Salvador's! Party of two?" She quipped, practically vibrating with I've-had-one-too-many-coffee's-this-morning energy.

"Uh yeah." Dean said, trying not to stare. Was this place even real?

"Great!" She squeaked. "This way!" She practically sprinted through the restaurant, causing Cas and Dean to have to do the same to keep her in sight. She skidded to a stop at a two seated table, making Dean bump into Cas' back in his haste to stop. He mumbled a sorry and backed up a step, rubbing the back of his neck. Cas didn't even acknowledge him, which would have worried him, but his mind was still off in Mexican La La Land. 

Cas sat down tentatively, not even noticing the waitress shoot off at top speed toward the kitchen. Dean plopped down in the seat across from him, letting out a low whistle that made Cas jump.

"She's like the lovechild of Road Runner and Bugs Bunny." Dean said, clearly amused. Cas, however, chose to play with his napkin instead, avoiding Dean's gaze. Truthfully, he was feeling even more nervous now that he was on the date. Dean seemed so at ease, slipping easy into these surroundings. Cas felt like a bull in a China shop, stumbling about, breaking each thing he touched. He didn't want to speak and ruin this-this whatever it was before it even started. And so, the napkin it was.

Dean's smile slowly slipped as he watched Cas retreat into himself. Had he offended the guy? Maybe he was one of those guys who had an unhealthy obsession with cartoon characters. He had to smooth this over somehow, but he wasn't quite sure how to. So, he did the only rational thing. He changed the subject.

"So, what do you do exactly? I mean," He put his hands out, palms up. "You know what I do. Book seller extraordinaire." He smiled. "What does Castiel do?"

Cas twisted his napkin, clearing his throat before answering but still refusing to look up. "I cook."

"Oh? For like a catering thingy or…?"

"Uh no not…not catering um I uh work as a pastry chef for a small restaurant a few blocks from your bookstore."

"So you bake desserts and shit for a living?"

Cas smiled slightly. "I guess you could say that. Although it's much more than desserts."

"Like what?" Dean asked, resting his chin on his fists.

Cas glanced up, chewing on his lip. He opened his mouth to answer when Ms. Chipper appeared, making them both jump. Dean kicked the chair leg by accident and had to hold in a string of curses that threatened to escape.

"Hello! Are you two ready to order?" She grinned at both of them, pen poised over her notebook.

Cas shook his head. "We need a little bit more time. Can we get some waters while we wait?" 

Her grin got even bigger, if that was even possible. "Of course!" And gone she was again.

"Holy hell, she needs a Prozac." Dean huffed.

"I think she's quite pleasant." Cas said.

"Well 'course you would." Dean muttered.

Cas blinked. "I'm sorry?"

"Never mind." Dean rubbed his leg, sure there was a bruise on his calf now. Cas looked down, pursing his lips before picking up his menu and hiding his face behind it. Dean flipped his open with one hand, skimming over it. "You like enchiladas? Cause that's basically their choices."

"I do." Cas clipped. He put his menu down and sat back in his seat, napkin twisting in his hand again. However, his eyes stayed on Dean, as if trying to figure out a puzzle. Dean caught his gaze and smiled wryly.

"What?"

Cas twisted the napkin harder, narrowing his eyes. "I'm trying to understand you."

Dean frowned. "Huh?"

"You take me to a restaurant which you say you like, yet you continue to criticize the staff and the appearance. I'm not sure if that makes you insensitive or just rude."

Dean blinked. "Way to be truthful, dude."

"I tend to be, yes." Cas sighed. "So, I'm right then?"

"Well, no." Dean said. "I'm not insensitive. Rude, I guess. I kinda just speak my mind and that stuff just popped out." He ran a hand through his hair. "But look, if you wanna go somewhere else, we can. I mean I'm cool with here, even with the Road Bunny here."

Cas shook his head. "Road Bunny? That's the best you could come up with?"

Dean shrugged and smiled. "Eh, it works, doesn't it?"

Cas rolled his eyes, but couldn't fight the smile making it's way onto his face. 

"I made you smile!" Dean said, grinning. "Point for me."

"You don't get points for me smiling, Dean. That's ridiculous."

"Maybe I'm just a ridiculous guy." He said with a wink. Cas blushed and he laughed. 

"That you are, Dean." Cas muttered. "That you are."

"Cas?"

"Mhm?" He said, looking at his napkin like it had the secrets of the universe written on it. Dean bit his lip, debating for a second before confessing.

"I kinda lied earlier. About this place? I've uh," He rubbed the back of his neck. "I've never been here in my life."

That was the first time he heard Cas laugh.


	6. Epilogue: The Truth About Anniversaries

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Love takes work, and Cas and Dean are well aware of the hard work involved.

Dean hefted the box into the living room, grunting as he set it down. He glared at it, silently wishing it might spontaneously combust out of pity for Dean's now surely crippled back. Sadly, it remained flameless.

He dusted off his hands, glancing around at the too empty space of his-actually, their new apartment. He' d have to start thinking of it that way. Mostly because Cas would get pissed pretty quickly. And Cas was relentless when he got pissed. He once stole Dean's entire Star Trek collection and hid it until Dean took him out on a proper date. Apparently, beer and pizza didn't count.

Dean huffed a laugh, smiling at the memory. It had been exactly two years since that first date in that stupid little Mexican place Dean had chosen on a whim. Dean had been such an idiot then. Hell, he was an idiot now. But he liked to think Cas had managed to smooth out some of his edges. Make him whole and all that shit.

The point was, even after that crap first date, they still managed to tough things out. Dean took him to his _actual_ favorite restaurant; Cas took him to a little look out over a lake; they did a stupid little picnic, where they had a food fight and managed to upset some ducks; they fought over stupid things they regretted in the morning; they made love awkwardly and laughed together before trying again(it was much better the second time); they made their friends throw popcorn at them and demand they get a room when they were just too intoxicated with each others presence. They fit, much better than either of them could ever have imagined.

Moving in together hadn't been something either of them had thought about at first. But when Cas' lease ran out and Dean saw one too many crack heads leave the apartment across from him, they decided to take that step. Charlie had helped them find this place originally. They hadn't even told her they were looking for a place, but in her typical best friend wisdom she already knew. Dean had yet to figure out how she did that. Regardless, this apartment was just perfect for them. Dean only wished it was on the ground floor. Lugging boxes up the stairs was pure torture.

The sound of the door being thrown open made Dean glance back. Cas was struggling through the doorway, face red and a look of death aimed at the box in his hands. Dean couldn't help himself. He laughed.

"It's...not...funny...Dean." Cas said in between pants. He waddled over and plopped the box down on top of Dean's, huffing his annoyance. "Why do you...own so many...fucking DVDs?"

That was another thing. The cursing. When they'd first started dating, Cas had been the definition of reserved. But the more comfortable he got, the more he surprised Dean with just how outspoken he could be. Dean was pretty sure he could rival Dean's potty mouth when he was pissed.

"Well, why do you have so many fucking cat figurines?" He gestured to the box he'd had to lug up. "I think we can both agree my DVDs are way more useful."

Cas narrowed his eyes. "Useful? You have every season of M*A*S*H. When have you last even looked at them? Or your collection of Angel DVDs? I'm pretty sure he's just eye candy at this point."

Dean blushed scarlet and cleared his throat. "I guess uh the cats are fine. Let's just go get the rest of the boxes, yeah?" Cas smirked, watching Dean start for the door. He cleared his throat, raising an eyebrow when he looked back.

"Come here." Cas beckoned, still smirking. Dean narrowed his eyes slightly, warily walking back over. Cas stepped close, running a hand through Dean's hair. Dean leaned into the touch, smiling. Cas leaned forward and kissed his cheek. Without pulling back, he whispered, "Don't worry. I still love you, bad as your tastes are."

Dean snorted a laugh, Cas' eyes glistening with amusement as he pulled back. "I chose you though." He said, wrapping an arm around his waist. "Does that make you a bad influence?."

Cas chuckled. "Maybe." He continued to run a hand through his hair, teasing the strands. "But if so, i have equally bad taste."

Dean clicked his tongue. "Rude."

Cas kissed him quickly, nipping his bottom lip. "That's me." He backed up, untangling himself from Dean's grip. "Come on. Those boxes won't unload themselves." When Dean groaned, Cas just rolled his eyes and started for the door. "I'll give you a quickie when we finish."

Instantly, Dean was pushing past him. "Race you!" Cas barked a laugh but took off running after him.

In a few years Dean would take them to that cheap little Mexican place and they'd get served by the same crazy eyed girl as the first time. Dean's hand would shake as he got down on one knee and Cas' voice would shake as he said yes. They's move into a new house and they'd adopt a little girl they'd both cherish like the world.

At this moment, they were both content in each others presence. That was enough for now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last chapter guys. And look! I finished a story! Thanks so much for all the comments and love. I'm so glad I expanded on this story


End file.
